The Conquest of Everest (1953)

I was born in 1946 so was 7 year of age in 1953.I was in my second year at Pinner Road Infants school which helped to educate part of the post war baby boom in Northwood Hills and Pinner Middlesex.What a treat to be told we were all going to the building next to the school to see "The Conquest of Everest".This was shown at the REX cinema.Today it is a supermarket and the school demolished to make way for a block of flats.If you asked me what do I remember about this film 64 years later, bearing in mind I have not seen it since on UK TV networks, I have to confess I do not remember a thing about it.Perhaps scenes of conquering the summit were shown on news, travelogues, documentaries and the like but being a person that does not like snow & ice it escaped me.Nevertheless I voted this film 7/10 mainly based on other reviewers posts and the historic accomplishment of dragging all that film equipment up Everest.

On a historical day in 1953, two headlines rocked the British press. Queen Elizabeth went through her coronation, and a group of British explorers were praised for being the first humans to reach the top of Mount Everest, the highest point in the Himalayas. This documentary excellently tells the tale of their preparation, struggle and success, and does so humbly and with great care. O feel sorry for the cameraman documenting all this, as with all the others traipsing around in the bitter cold, overloaded with heavy supplies. It takes more than strong ropes, warm clothes and a heavy pick to make it there. Luck and nature must be on their side, and this doesn't leave anything to the imagination. Of course, the scenery is gorgeous, but even beautiful nature has its dangers, so there is an element of suspense. Dramatic music adds to the impact and the result is am Oscar nominated documentary that would make a great tool for showing the triumph of the human spirit in middle and high schools.

I did not know this documentary existed until I found it at Kathmandu airport as I left Nepal recently. What fascinated me was the amazing changes that I noted, particularly on the West Buttress and some other places in the 56 years since this was filmed. It also amazed me how long it took them to find a way thru the Ice Fall. I was born a couple of weeks prior to Hillary's summit and I summited Everest myself on May 23, 2009 within a few days, give or take 56 years from the first summit. In fact, our climb was documented by Discovery Channel and will be aired in November, 2009. The experience is difficult to explain, but when I saw this video with the highest quality cinematography, all using presumably large, heavy cameras and 16 MM film or larger, it is truly amazing to watch. The music is typical of the 50s but that adds to its historic nature. The documentary is wonderfully accurate, is not overly dramatic as many of today's efforts are (such as Discovery's Everest series) so its really a pleasant review of an awesome achievement over 56 years ago.

This is indeed a remarkable story very well told with drama and emotion as well as great respect for the risks taken by all involved. In light of the 1996 disaster on the summit, with the mountain cluttered by unqualified rich people who seem only to be interested in self-glorification, this is a feat that all humanity can take pride in. The script and the music add a great deal to the story and the photography is terrific. It makes me wonder about the nearly lifeless documentary filmed by David Breshears in late May of 1996. Instead of concentrating on the mountain and the terrific feat of getting the equipment up to the increasingly high and potentially fatal altitudes, instead of concentrating on the terrible tragedy ( 8 people losing their lives needlessly) unfolding right in front of them, with Breshears and the whole team acting in a truly unselfish fashion, instead of this, they concentrated on the weak story of a female climber who in no way rated the spotlight. The Conquest of Everest not only shows the terrible sacrifices made to reach the summit, but it teaches the viewers that the mountain must only be attempted by those qualified by years of effort. Anything less is a travesty. This film is a must-see.